Reversing-valve mechanism



1. F ROGERS. REVERSING VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, I918- Patented May 31,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. F. ROGERS. REVEQRSING VALVE MECHANISM. APPLlCATlON man FEB. 23, 1918.

Patented May 31; 1.921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 31 JOHN FRANK ROGERS, F CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WELLMAN- SEAVER-MORGAN COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, 03510, A CORPORATE-TON OF OHIO.

BEVERSING-VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1921.

Application filed February 23, 1918. Serial No. 218,688.

wherein the valve is hung, on both sides thereof, from the upper ends of arms that are fixed to, preferably, two rock shafts; whereby, as said rock shafts are rocked, the valve will be lifted from one operative position and moved over toward and then lowered to the other operative position.

The Rose Patent No. 1,045,749 shows and describes reversing valve mechanism which is typical of the mechanism to which the instant invention is applicable.

In reversing valve mechanism of the type referred to the valves are large and heavy. To initiate the movement of the valve from one operative position requires the application of great power, sufficient to overcome the dead weight of the valve and the frictional resistance of the associated mechanism; but the power required to continue the movement of the valve becomes progressively less, until, when the valve reaches the center of its path, no more power is required to carry it overthe center than enough to overcome the frictional resistance of the moving parts. After the valve has passed the center, however, a rapidly increasing power is required to hold the valve back and prevent it from dropping with destructive force to its seat. To meet these requirements powerful and expensive operating mechanism has heretofore been employed.

The obj cot of this invention is to minimize andsubstantially equalize the force required to move the valve through the entire path it must travel in moving from one operative position to the other.

This invention involves the employment of acounterbalancing weight of varying resistance and suitable mechanism to cause it to so cooperate with the valve and its usual associated mechanism that the valve will be or, if mechanism is provided for doing this, that mechanism may be simple and inexpensive. The invention is shown in the drawing and hereinafter described and definitely pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevat1on of a reversing valve mechanism which embodies my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same,and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view in the plane of line A-B on Fig. 1.

Referring to the parts by reference characters, 1 represents the trough-shaped base of the valve mechanism,which base is formed with three ports 4, 5, 6, each surrounded by an upwardly extended flange 7.

8 represents the hood whose lower edge rests upon the base submerged in the water which said trough-shaped base contains.

13 represents the valve which is of D- shape, and of such size that it may embrace and connect the ports 5 and 4 while in one operative position, and the ports 5 and 6 when in the other operative position. This valve is commonly made of metal and is lined with fire brick or other heat resisting material. Two parallel rock shafts 15 and 16 extend transversely across the base below the valve and the hood. Arms 17 are fixed to both rock shafts on opposite sides of the hood and outside of the same. The two arms 17 on each side of the hood and valve are connected by a link 21 so that the rock shafts must rock in unison.

J-shaped bars 19 are respectively hung from the upper end of the several arms 17. preferably upon the same pivots 18 which connect said arms with the links; and these bars 19 go under the lower side edges of the hood and engage the lower side edges of the valve. When. therefore, the rock shafts are rocked the valve will be lifted from one operative position as shown by dotted lines in F ig; 1, and moved over toward and lowered to the other operative position, as shown also by dotted lines in Fig. 1. In this same figure this valve is shown in full lines in the center of its path of travel.

The mechanism to the extent above described is known and constitutes the valve mechanism to which the present invention is applicable.

Pivoted to a suitable support at one side of the hood is a segment 20. A chain 21 is fixed to this segment adjacent one edge thereof and extends therefrom in a groove in the periphery thereof to'the opposlte edge thereof, and thence between two sheaves 22, 23, mounted side by side at the side of the hood. This chain is connected with the link 21 on the same side of the hood. and near the middle of said link. A pendulous weight 25 of varying resistance is connected with this segment, and in position such that when thevalve is in its mid-' I dle position, as shown by full lines in Fig.

1,thisarm extends vertically downward in a radialdirection with respect to the axis of the-segment; and this arm carries on its lower end a weight of sufiicient size to effect the desired counterweighting of the valve;

When the valve moves from its middle position in either direction, that is, toward either valve seat, this weight will be swung upward from'its vertical position, and will, with increasing force, counterbalance the valve in proportion to the need for such 'counterbalancing. The arm of this weight will be near the horizontal position when the valve is in either operative position, and

the leverarm should be of such length and i the weight of such ponderosity that when in this position it will substantially counterbalance the valve when the latter is seated, so that a slight force applied to the mechanism' will move it and cause the valve to lift. As the valve moves from its seat to ward its center position the power required to move it gradually decreases, and the counterbalancing effect of the weight proportionately decreases, until when the valve is in the middle of its path the'wcight is hanging vertically downward.

path toward either seat, the weight is gradually swung upward and exercises an increaslng reslsting power upon the valve 7 which is substantially proportionate to the requirements 'of the case, so that therefore the weight will be substantially counterbalancing the valve at all times, and a minimum of power will be required to produce the required valve. move the valve may be applied to an operating lever 30 that may be fixed to one of the rock shafts '15, 16.

As a refinement of the described apparatus, and as aiding somewhat to the efiiciency of the described mechanism, the periphery of the segment is not the arc of a circle.

The radial distance from the axis of the segment to the part ofthe periphery with which the chain is' tangential when the weight is hanging vertically downward, (as

when the valve is in the middle of its act) is longest; and from this point around through the point with which the chain is tangential when the weight is at its highest 7 point, the radius gradually decreases sous.

to cause the weight to exercise an increasing When 'valve'proceeds beyond the'middle of its The small power to leverage through the described mechanism on the valve. V

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of a reversing valve which is movable back and forth through a definite path from one operative position 7 to another, arms which are pivoted. at their lower ends and which extend upwardly on opposite sides of the valve, valve supporting means connecting said valvewith the upper ends of said arms, a pivoted segment,

a chain connected therewith and extending over the periphery of said segment,a sheave over which said chain passes and extends downward, means operatively connecting the depending end of said chain with the described valve mechanism a radial arm, a weight fixed thereto, said arm being connected with said segment in such position substantially as described that when the valve is substantially at the middle of its path of travel said weighted arm will hang vertically downward: 1

i 2. The combination of a reversing valve which is movable back and forth through adefinite path from one operative position to another, two transversely extended rock shafts which pass beneath said valve, two arms connected with each rock shaft and extending upwardly opposite sides of. the

valve, a link on each side of the valveconnecting the two arms on that side, and valve supporting means connecting saidvalve with the upper ends of said arms, a pivoted segment, a chain connected therewith and extending over the periphery of said segment, a sheave? over which said chain passes and extends downwardly, means operativelyconnecting the depending end of said chain with the described valve mechanism, a radial arm, a weight fixed thereto, said arm being connected with said segment in such position substantially as describedthat when the valve is substantially atthe middle of its path of travel said Weighted arm will hang vertically downward. v 3. The'combination of a reversing valve which is movable back and forth through a definite path from one operativeposition I to another, two transversely extended rock shafts which pass beneath said valve, two

arms connected with each rock shaft and extending upwardly on opposite sides of 1 .saidsegment in such relative position that it will extend in a radial direction vertithat end of said segment toward which the cally downward when the valve is in the tangential point travels as the weight is middle of its path of trave1,said segment being raised.

having the longest effective radius at a point In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my 5 with which the chain is tangential when the signature.

weight is hanging Vertically downward and being of decreasing radius therefrom toward JOHN FRANK ROGERS. 

